Promises
by xwinter.phoukax
Summary: Gilbert is haunted by his past. He fears that he isn't living up to Fritz's expectations and is constantly lost in thought. In a brief instant, those fears may be laid to rest. "I promise," the albino spoke solemnly, "Until the day I die und fade into the sands of time, I vill stay by your side, Fritz." Hints at PruCan


Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or any of the characters. They belong to Himaruya Hidekazu.

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The sun set over the hills of Sanssouci palace, making the sky blaze with its dying light. Two men barely of age sat atop the crest of one and watched the fading majesty. They held their silence in favor of enjoying each other's company as well as the evening melodies the birds created. Slowly, the sun sank below the horizon. Deeper hues of cerulean took their time spreading across the vast expanses of the heavens.

The elder of the two men looked up to watch a pair of yellow finches nestling down for the night. A small smile played on his face. Fritz had always had a soft spot in his heart for such displays of affection and true devotion.

"Preuße, aren't they adorable?" Fritz asked his companion and gestured to the birds.

The albino looked up, then smiled at the finches. They had made their way into their next and were very nearly asleep.

"Ja," his red eyes sparked joyously as he turned back to Fritz, "Mein Freund, I've asked you before to just call me Gilbert when we're alone."

It had been a topic of discussion ever since Fritz had become the king of the country Gilbert personified; Prussia. At first, Fritz had insisted upon formality, saying that it was improper for them to speak as though they were so close. His decision was quickly renounced as Gilbert's charm won him over.

Fritz returned the smile, "Old habits die hard, Gilbert. I'm sure you know this."

"Indeed, I do," Prussia turned his gaze skyward, "but I'm too awesome to let most of mine get to me."

They both knew better, but neither voiced this. Fritz was one of the few that knew about the albino's near constant nightmares and his love-hate relationship with war; it loved to hate him. Yet for all his suffering, Gilbert always had a smile on his face, especially for his king. Fritz doubted he would ever admit it, but he had grown increasingly fond of the young nation next to him. Simply seeing Gilbert smile for _him_ made his heart skip a beat.

The companions settled back into a comfortable silence and watched the stars begin to appear in the velvet darkness. Gilbert amused himself by pointing out the constellations the Teutonic Knights had told him about. A pair of nightingales flew above them; their song interrupted the albino.

Fritz felt his heart drop a little, "Gilbert, have you ever feared not returning from battle?"

The king noticed the tremor that ran down his companion's spine. He knew it was a common fear among warriors, but for a _country_ to die… Fritz wasn't sure it was even possible.

Gilbert looked mildly shocked, and then slowly nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak.

"Don't take this the wrong way, mein Freund, but you remind me of a bird," Fritz smiled sadly at his companion, "And the greatest fear of my heart is that one day, you will spread those strong wings of yours and leave my side forever."

Gilbert wrapped an arm around Fritz's shoulders, "Nein, I vould never leave you."

"Promise?"

It stung to hear Fritz's voice waver, but Gilbert crossed his heart none the less.

"I promise," the albino spoke solemnly, "Until the day I die und fade into the sands of time, I vill stay by your side, Fritz."

Fritz leaned against Prussia's shoulder, "Und I vill stay by yours."

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Bright sunlight woke Gilbert, glaring through the window of Canada's house. His eyes stung as they opened to the offending light. _'Just a dream of a memory,'_ he thought as he noticed the wet tracks on his face. He wiped them away and looked over his shoulder. Birdie was still asleep, cuddled up to his pillow. It was such a peaceful scene that the Prussian felt his rampant emotions calm almost instantly. Being with the young Canadian had done him more good that he was willing to admit. Gilbert propped himself up against the headboard to watch the sleeping nation beside him.

A few minutes pass before the sun wakes the Canadian. Matthew yawns and rubs at his violet eyes, then sleepily looks up at the Prussian.

"Hm… Gil?" his tone clearly showed that he wasn't entirely awake.

"Guten Morgen, Birdie," Gilbert smirked down at him.

Matthew sat up to stretch, "Bonjour. Sleep well?"

Gilbert looked out the window in silent contemplation for a moment. He was fairly certain his face was still tear stained, but the Canadian didn't pry. It was one of the things that the Prussian was glad for; Birdie always waited until he was ready to talk about things.

"Well enough, I guess," Gilbert could help but grin as he turned back to the Canadian, "And you?"

"Good," Matthew smiled back, "It's supposed to be warmish out today."

The two of the got up and, after a breakfast of "awesome" pancakes, went out to play soccer in the backyard. Kumajiro watched them from the porch with Gilbird nestled on top of his head.

While Gilbert still agonized over his past, he wouldn't have traded the time spent with the Canadian for the world. He looked to each new day with the hope that it would be better than the last. After all, Fritz lived on in his memories and the Prussian was certain that his king would have been happy for the joy he had found in his Birdie.

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Note: This fic goes out to my awesome Birdie, who deals with my somewhat depressing take on Prussia. I swear I'm trying to fix things. She's always asking about Prussia's dreams when we roleplay, so I thought I'd write one out. Hope you guys like it.


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